The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-02-23
The Temperance Textbooks.

c" Glorious" in st. Adams Messenger
There seems to be raging just now book
war of some interest to the people of the state
and yet but little known. The committee to
whom was referred the duty of selecting
the textbooks on temperance, mentioned in
section one of number thirty-tive of the
laws of 1886, have, pursuant to authority
given them, named the following textbooks
for use in the public schools: First, Child's
Health Primer, known as Pathfinder No l 4;
second, Hygiene for Young People, known
as Pathfinder, No. .; third, Lessons on the
Human Body, by Orestes NJ. Brands; fourth,
HYGIENE Physiology, by Professor j. ID.
Steele. In addition to which they made
the following suggestions relative to the
character of each of said books:
The Childs Health Primer; or Pathfinder No. !, is
what its name indicates. and has been selected as
suited to the requirements of the primary depart
ment of graded schools and the primary classes in
giene for Young People, pathfinder, No, 2, seems
to be particularly well suited for use in the nterme
diate grade and perhaps IL some classes in the gram
Body, by Brands. is believed to he well adapted to
not ALL of the classes in the higher grade of graded
schools For advanced classes in district schools
where but one department Is maintained such
choice can be made between Pathfinder, No; ?, and
Lessons on the Human Body by Brands As the age,
demand. Hygenic Physiology, by Steele, has been
selected for use in the highest grade of graded
schools. We doubt if there Is ungraded school in
the state requiring its use and are Of the opinion
on the Human Body, by Brands, will be found well
Dlngham, T. N. Mansur A. i. Valentine.
Whereupon the Woman's Christian Tenn
perance Union in the state, by petition, APP
peal, notes of alarm and personal interview
with superintendents, give wholesale con-
domination of Brands Lessons on the HUI
man Body as being unsuitable to be placed
in the public schools of Vermont. The
query is being raised in the minds of some,
Why this apparently uncalled-for attack
upon one of the books recommended by the
board? Was not the board competent to
nudge what books were suitable? Whether
intended or not, the commissioners, by this
fusilade on the part of the Woman Chris
tian Temperance Union, are by them branded
with this book of " Brands " as being so ter
ribly inferior in work that they merit this
severe castigation and opposition which
they are receiving Why the books pub
lished by one certain firm and recommended
by the superintendent of scientific instruc-
ton and the National Woman's Christian
Temperance Union only are fit for the
schools of Vermont is question some of
the people would like answered. While
the war progresses information comes from
the publishers of Brands Lessons on the
Human Body that one hundred thirty nine
towns had ordered their books, aggregating
ten thousand copies, up to the 4th instant.
Since the foregoing appeared the following
letter from Mr.. Dillingham; to citizen who
wrote him on the subject has been pub
lished
WATERBURY,, February 5-Deqr Siri am in re
ceipt of your note of the Sd, asking for the
that actuates Mrs Perkins and Mrs. HOush in their
opposition to the of Brands Lessons the HUI
man Body In our public schools. can only reply by
stating that when the board in session in Bur
ngton Mrs. Hunt and Mrs. Perkins were both pres
ent, urging the selection of Pathfinder, Nos and 3
and Steee's Hygienc Physiology, and claiming these
three books alone were all that necessary for
use in this state. The board were of the opinion
that No. g while rich in temperance matter, was de
hcient as a physiology, and that between II and
Steele's book there was much unoccpped ground;
that Brands book, some other of the same char
acter, was needed to cover that ground etc. The
only objection made to Brands book by either of
them was that 1t was dry" uninterestiug and
+" unteachabe." have never met Mrs Housh, but
her circular leads to suppose that she believes
this book selected for primary work, or that the
book selected was Brands Lessons for beginners,
quite another book, In either case she was labor
ing under a mistake of facts If she was aware
what book was selected and for what grases, as
shown by our circular "a copy of which enclosed
her suggestions, to state it mildly, unfair, |
have high opinion of Lessons on the Human Body.
The temperance matter Is most admirable, both In
arrangement and amount, and am at loss to ac-
count for the opposition you speak of. Sincerely
yours, W, L. DILLINGHAM.